The Lion's Ruddy Eyes
by soThenMegansaid
Summary: I never realized that I was offering my throat to the lion. Only when it was in his mouth did I see where my actions had led me.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show,_ True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter One**

_Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves –  
regret for the past and fear of the future.  
_Fulton Oursler

_

* * *

_

"So, what is this thing again, Dad?" I questioned as I tried for the fourth or fifth time to get my sleeping bag to fit in its carrier. My dad and I were in the living room packing our bags slowly. We weren't exactly excited about our upcoming adventure.

Dad shrugged his shoulders. "Some thing your mom wants us to go to at the church. I tried to tell her we were a little old for lock-ins, but you try talking sense in to her." He took the sleeping back out of my hands and gently after a few seconds had it in the carrier.

"Thanks," I said with a sheepish smile.

When we had moved to Texas due to my dad's job, my mom had insisted that we try our hardest to find a church in the area that fit out spiritual needs. If there was just one thing wrong with a church, she declared it was not the one. Five churches and eight agonizing weeks later, my mom had finally found THE church for us (or so she believed). The Fellowship of the Sun, in her opinion, was everything we needed to be good Christians.

"Reverend Newlin and his wife are just a delight!" she gushed. "Not only do they preach about His love for us, but they fight bravely for the rights of human's to exist free from fear of those _nasty _vampires. You should have been there, Roger, the congregation is so full of love and acceptance. They welcomed me with open arms!"

It wasn't a surprise that mom had found a church the Sunday dad and I went to visit family members out of town. She had passed up the opportunity in order to continue her search. So here we were, three months after Mom's declaration packing for some lock-in the church was throwing.

I sat on the edge of the couch and fiddled with the zipper of my bag. Though I didn't want to go to this church shindig, I felt like I had to. Mom had always been there for me when I needed it. She cleaned, made dinner, did the laundry, and drove me around for years. One little lock-in wouldn't be _too_ bad.

"What's the worst that could happen?" I said with a shrug as Dad patted my shoulder.

"It'll be over before we know it," he chuckled.

"I sure hope so."

"Ready to go?" Mom asked, appearing in the doorway. She looked so happy and alive. Her blonde hair curled around her face, bouncing gently as she shifted from foot to foot. Her excitement was palpable.

I smiled and grabbed my duffle. "Yep, all ready to go. My outfit okay?"

I was wearing blue jeans, tennis shoes, and an old t-shirt. My brown hair hung loose just past my shoulder blades. No use in getting dressed up if I was just going to be lounging around in the pews most of the night.

"Yes, sweetie, it's fine."

Dad shouldered his duffle and picked up both of our sleeping bags. "After you, honey."

Mom practically skipped through the living room toward the front door. Her duffle and sleeping back were slung over her shoulder also. Dad gestured me to follow her. I sighed softly and followed, but with much less enthusiasm. I heard him chuckle.

"It's not going to be _that_ bad."

Oh how I hoped he was right.

The car ride over took around twenty minutes. The Fellowship of the Sun was located on the outskirts of town. The closest buildings were easily a couple miles away on either side. Since it was the middle of the spring, the trees and flowers were in beginning to bloom, making the church appear beautiful and less full of bigotry and hate.

As Dad pulled the car into an empty parking space, I glanced over at Mom who was smiling from ear to ear. This was the event of the year for her. Reverend Newlin was hosting this lock-in to help his church members learn to not fear the darkness, to fight it and the demons lurking.

To be honest, I thought Mom was on crack when she chose this church. The Reverend and his wife were preaching hatred under the disguise of love. It was blatantly obvious to anyone with a brain or who wasn't on crack. When I explained this to Dad after our second visit, he patted my hand gently and said, "Just let it go in one ear and out the other. If it makes your mother happy then I'm happy, but it doesn't mean I have to listen."

"…and for the kids there will be arts and crafts," Mom was saying as she climbed out of the car. "Oh, this will just be so much fun!"

A car pulled up next to us, and after a few seconds out poured the O'Donnell family complete with their two little brats—I mean kids. I fought desperately to control the groan that threatened to slip when I saw them. Dad cleared his throat loud enough to remind me to behave myself.

Finnegan, Finn for short, and Cass O'Donnell were identical twins no older than ten, and they believed that they knew everything. With flaming red hair and freckles sprinkled across their nose, the kids looked like perfect little angels. _Looked _being the key word.

"Did you bring your PSP, Maggie?" Cass asked me as I pulled my stuff out of the trunk. She didn't look up as she talked. Her nose was buried in her electronic game.

"Uh, I don't have a PSP, Cass." I shifted my bag onto my shoulder, watching my parents disappear into the church. I was stuck with the brats. Great.

Cass raised an eyebrow and gave Finn, who was also playing an electronic game, a pointed look. He snickered. "What a loser."

I rolled my eyes and left the twins with their games. The sun was slowly setting behind the church, sending out beautiful rays of pink, purple, and orange. Two gentlemen were standing on either side of the door along with Sarah Newlin, the Reverend's wife.

"Welcome, y'all!" she said, extending her arms outward. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the twins were right behind me. Great.

I hugged Mrs. Newlin, plastering a fake smile on.

"It's so great to be here. You guys are doing a really wonderful thing with this."

Sarah placed a hand on her heart. "Why thank you, honey. Now just skidattle right on into the chapel. Festivities should be starting soon!"

She gestured to a large room right in front of the main doors. I saw my parents finding somewhere to sit in the pews so I headed in their direction.

"Now what do we have here?" Mrs. Newlin asked the O'Donnell twins.

I couldn't help but smile when she took away their PSPs claiming that they were "filthy creations that condoned violence." The kids screamed in protest. Served them right.

"There you are!" Mom squealed as I plopped my stuff down on the pew next to them. My eye caught the giant cross in the front of the room. "It's almost sun down, and they'll be starting soon."

I looked around the room at the other families and kids who had come for the lock-in. In my opinion, they looked like normal middle class families, not vampire hating loonies. It was sad how most people hid their true selves behind a mask, never showing even their loved ones at times who they really were.

After a few minutes of people watching, Dad nudged me gently in the side and pointed at the middle aisle. Reverend Newlin was strutting—there was no other way to describe his walk—down the aisle with a huge smile on his face. There was something sneaky hiding behind that smile, but I hadn't the slightest clue what it was. Behind me, the O'Donnell twins were arguing about something. _Where are their parents?!_ I glared back at them. It did little good.

"Welcome, members!" Newlin exclaimed when he reached the stage. The congregation began to find their seats and quiet down, fixing their eyes on the speaker. Behind him sat a long wooden table. Normally, it held a few candles and the bible that Reverend Newlin preached from. However, tonight it was bare.

"That's odd," I murmured.

"Hmmm?" Dad said, leaning to the side to hear me better.

"It's nothing."

Also, where was Mrs. Newlin? It was rare that one was seen without the other during church. I shrugged my shoulders and shifted to get comfortable in the pew. Reverend Newlin's speeches tended to be boring not to mention long. I needed to be comfortable.

"Tonight," Newlin continued, "We have a very special gift for you devoted followers of Christ. Tonight, we're going to watch as a vampire meets the sun!"

So much for boring…


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show,_ True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_We feel that appropriate sort of __fear__  
when our backs are against the wall.  
_Greg Popovich

* * *

"Tonight!" Newlin proclaimed. "We have a very special gift for you devoted followers of Christ. Tonight, we're going to watch as a vampire meets the sun!"

My eyes widened at his proclamation. Crazy was going to do what?

Before I had time to check my parents' reactions, the doors to the chapel opened and several men marched down the aisle holding onto one man who had a metal chain wrapped around his body. Following them, two men held onto a woman who was struggling in their grips. She was free of the metal chain.

Instead of focusing on the woman, I found myself oddly concerned for the man who was being drug to the front. He was maybe 6'2" with short blonde hair and pale skin. Almost immediately I realized that it wasn't a man they were dragging. It was a vampire. My pulse picked up almost at the same time Dad tensed up. We both knew what we were about to see: a murder in the name of Christ.

"You see…just as our Lord, our savior was betrayed with thirty pieces of silver, a few ounces of silver can betray a child of Satan to the world!"

Dad stood up grabbing both my mom's and my arm leading us toward the door. Our bags were left where they were. Our safety was obviously more important.

"I'm sorry, sir. We can't let you out," a tall man who was standing in front of the door said. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt that had LODI, which stood for who knows what, written on it.

"You mean to tell me that we are trapped in here with a pissed off vampire and an idiot who wants to kill him?" my dad asked, incredulously. A few of the families around us all turned to look at my dad. They looked apprehensive about the situation.

The man glared back at Dad as if to say that he wasn't backing down.

"Roger," Mom said, softly. "Maybe it's best that we go sit back down." She tugged on his arm gently. For a second, it looked like he wasn't going to move.

Only when the man's hand moved to his hip to bring attention to his gun did my dad decide that the pews would be the best place for us. We slowly moved back to our original seats.

"I…" the vampire started to say.

My head snapped to the direction of the stage. He gritted his teeth, fighting back the pain as best as he would. The silver was burning his skin, and the smell was filling the closed chapel. It was very unpleasant.

"I offer myself in exchange for Godric's freedom…and the girl's as well."

Who the heck was Godric? Who was the girl?

The vampire was placed on top of the table, and more silver was added to his body. The sounds it made were nauseating. I turned my back to the scene, trying to regain my composure. I was going to be sick.

"Maggie, if things start to go down hill, I want you to take your mother and get out of here as fast as possible," Dad whispered into my ear. "Bust out a window if you have to, just get out of here." Concern was written all over his face. This situation had the potential to go bad in several different ways.

I gulped, hoping to quell the nausea a bit. "I can do that."

Mom was standing next to Dad, holding onto his elbow for dear life. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry I got us into this. Preaching human rights is one thing, but THIS?! This is un-Christian. This is the Devil's work."

Dad tried to shush her the best he could. The last thing we needed to do was bring attention to ourselves and be labeled vampire sympathizers in the middle of a vampire bashing. There was no telling how that would end.

The doors to the chapel flew open once again. I wanted to smile as the guard flew to the side and hit his head on a pew. One man sprinted down the aisle toward the group up ahead. He was shorter than the first vampire with brown hair and side burns that looked a little bit like muttonchops. His skin was very pale, and he moved faster than a human would have. I was sure he was a vampire.

"Sookie!"

The blonde woman's head turned in his direction. She looked relieved and frightened at the same time. The men who were holding Sookie shifted slightly, revealing a handgun pressed into her side. At that point I squeezed my dad's arm. He nodded, relaying that he saw the gun too.

"Bill!"

Newlin backed up slightly from the approaching vampire and called out, "One more step, vampire, and both of them die." It was then that I saw the gun he was holding.

_Holy shit! _

"If you shoot either one of them, everyone here will die." The vampire, Bill, sounded confident, which told me that there were more vampires lurking about somewhere. The word that scared me the most was 'everyone.'

_This psycho is going to get us killed._

Dad shifted himself in front of Mom and I, which made my pulse skyrocket. This situation just went from crazy to dangerous.

I bit my lip nervously, looking between Newlin and Bill, over Dad's shoulder. Before today, the only vampires I had ever seen were on TV. Now that I was in the presence of two angry vampires whose lives were being threatened, I was terrified.

"Honestly, what does she see in you?" Newlin asked. His voice was filled with disgust. "Soldier, some silver chains for our friend here."

Clearly, Newlin was not feeling the same fear I was.

"Don't! He's done nothing to you!" Sookie screamed. She jumped forward, struggling harder with her captors.

The vampire on the table let out a cry of pain as the silver dug deeper into his skin. The sound was heartbreaking.

"Sookie, I will be fine," Bill called out.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me. It was clear that Bill and Sookie were an item.

Several men in gray LODI sweatshirts approached the stage.

"What does LODI mean?" I asked my dad, who shrugged in return. It seemed plausible that LODI was a secret Fellowship of the Sun organization.

The men were carrying stakes and silver chains. They clearly meant business. I felt sorry for the vampires who were abut to be attacked. They were hated for something they couldn't control.

"Don't watch," Dad said to Mom. She buried her head in his shoulder, whimpering softly. The hate flowing from the people around us was exhausting.

"I didn't know," she whispered.

"It's okay." He kissed the top of her head lightly and pulled her into his arms. Newlin's plans for the vampires most likely involved death, something he didn't want her to see.

"Newlin!" a voice yelled from up above. Heads turned upward, looking for the voice. A tall, blonde man wearing a sleeveless shirt was holding a gun of some sort, and he looked pissed. He lowered his gun and fired off a round straight at Reverend Newlin. A second shout sounded shortly after. Screams filled the air, and we all ducked behind the pews. After a second or two, I peered up at the stage and saw that he had been shot in the hand first, which sent the gun to the ground. The second shot one of Sookie's captors. The brunette vampire jumped forward, headed straight toward the second captor.

Crying from behind me distracted me from the scene at the front of the room. I glanced over my shoulder to find to O'Donnell twins hunched down in the floor, holding onto each other desperately.

"Where are your parents?"

Finn looked up at me, tears streaking his face. "Th-they left."

As I jumped over the pew to get to the kids another shot was fired. Sure they were pains in the ass, but to actually leave said pains in the ass in a room with a gun-wielding psycho and pissed off vampires was ludicrous.

"Shhh, it's okay," I whispered pulling both of them up off the ground. They wrapped their arms around my waist and buried their faces into my shirt. Slowly, I shifted them around to where I had a clear view of the front again.

By this point, people were starting to stand up and shift toward the back of the room. It was evident that they too were realizing just how crazy Newlin was.

Bill had managed to get Sookie free from her captors, and Newlin was on the ground with a bright green spot in between his eyebrows. There was a scuffle up above, and I assumed that the paintball gun guy had been apprehended.

"Look!" Cass screamed, pointing at the stage.

Sookie had moved to the center of the stage and was pulling off the silver from the vampire. The sound was sickening, and the sight wasn't much better. He sat up slowly as if to regain his composure. I couldn't help but be attracted to him at that moment. His arms flexed slightly as his skin healed. Once his wounds were nearly healed, the vampire rushed toward the Reverend faster than anything I had ever seen before. Yep, we definitely had one pissed off vampire on our hands.

The vampire wrapped his hand around Newlin's neck. There was nothing but anger and hatred in his handsome features.

"Eric, don't!" Sookie urged. "He isn't worth it. Just leave!"

"Kill him!" paintball guy screamed. There was more scuffling. Obviously, the men holding him didn't like that.

I covered the twins' eyes unsure of what was about to happen.

"Go ahead. Murder us. Murder us before God. We are willing to die," Newlin said, showing his neck to the vampire.

Dad looked back at me. For this first time in my life I saw fear in his eyes. I hugged the twins harder while Dad pulled Mom closer to him. We definitely did not want to die for this psycho's beliefs.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show,_ True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

_If you __suffer__, thank God! - it is a sure sign that you are alive._  
Elbert Hubbard

* * *

"Go ahead. Murder us. Murder us before God. We are willing to die," Steve Newlin screamed, showing his neck to Eric.

The proclamation stunned the church. Members were shifting around, unsure of what to do.

My stomach dropped, and I knew this was it. My dad, who was in the row in front, looked back at me, and for this first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes. I pulled the O'Donnell twins closer to me while Dad tried his best to calm Mom down. We definitely did not want to die for this psycho's beliefs. I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes. This was never the way I thought my life would end.

The doors to the chapel burst open again, only this time several vampires marched down the aisle. Church members were starting to freak out and gather in groups.

_It was just supposed to be a lock-in. A little kumbaya, maybe some arts and crafts, but noooooo… Mom had to go and join this crazy church and get us killed!_

"Steve Newlin!" a vampire wearing a cowboy hat yelled. "You've pushed us too far."

The vampires began to spread out through the pews. I watched as a particularly nasty looking vampire approached. His eyes seemed to fill me with darkness and fear. He had long curly hair that looked ratty and unwashed. His facial hair reminded me of a 1970s porn star. I glanced over my shoulder again, but looked back quickly when I was met with a pair of pointy white teeth. The vampire chuckled. It was deep and petrifying. Tears slowly slipped down my cheeks as I stroked the twins' hair, trying to calm them down the best I could. The vampire moved the hair from around my neck slowly, and my whole body started to shake.

My dad looked back at the O'Donnell twins and I. There was a look of regret as he realized he couldn't protect my mom and myself at the same time.

"You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come lynch us? We'll kill you first." His country voice boomed through the church. We all could could hear the pleasure in his voice. "Same way we did your father." The latter part was intended to be a low blow.

"Destroy them." A smile teased the corner of his lips. "All of them."

Fear paralyzed me in my spot as the vampire behind me lurched forward and grabbed the side of my head, shoving it to the side. The O'Donnell twins screamed bloody murder and dove under the pew, but there was no use. Nothing was going to stop this. In my ear, I heard a growl of pleasure. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath as I felt the vampire's teeth sink into my neck. The pain was unbearable. It felt like fire was spreading through my veins. My knees buckled, and I fell back into the pew. After a few seconds the vampire seemed to be energized by my blood, and he grabbed onto me harder, pulling me off the bench.

"Enough." It was calm but commanding., and to my surprise, my attacker stopped. Unfortunately, he did not move away. I hit the pew hard.

The vampire growled into my ear before he shoved my head down, grabbed a chunk of my hair, and ripped it out. I screamed in pain. Before I could move an inch, he was gone. I brought my hand to my neck, feeling blood slip between my fingers. The room was kind of blurry, my stomach felt nauseous, and I wasn't quite sure which way was up. I laid down on the pew, keeping my hand pressed into my neck and hoping that the spinning would stop. My parents were watching me with worried eyes, but could not more due to vampires on either side of them.

Two people were talking, but I wasn't able to tell who they were. The ceiling of chapel was dancing, and I couldn't make it stop.

"Are you okay, Maggie?" Finn asked, peeking out from underneath the pew. I tried my best to smile at him.

"Yeah, sweetie. I'll be fine."

I focused on to the conversation going on so I wouldn't pass out. I could feel the blood continue to run down my neck and onto the pew.

"Mr. Newlin, I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example. If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"

The person who had stopped everything was speaking. I was starting to become his biggest fan.

_Yes! Just say yes you fucking psycho!_

There was so much I wanted to do with my life. At 21, I was midway through college and in the process of transferring from University of Texas at Dallas to Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana. My dad had been transferred to Shreveport for his job. I had more things in life I wanted to accomplish!

"I will not negotiate with sub-humans. Kill me. Do it. Jesus will protect me."

I groaned loudly. It seemed Newlin was determined to die tonight. At least he wasn't offering our lives at the same time. I peaked over the pew to take in the scene. Eric was holding Newlin by the throat.

Another vampire, who looked younger than 16, was watching. "No more," he instructed. His voice was calm and soft. It had an alluring effect. "And I am actually older than your Jesus. I wish I could have known him, but I missed it."

So much for looking younger than 16. If my math was right, this vampire had to be at least 2,000 years old.

The young vampire quickly appeared at the front and grabbed Newlin by the back of the neck. Eric stepped back.

"Good people. Who of you is willing to die for this man's madness?"

I sure as hell wasn't. I had already bled because of him, and that was way more than I wanted to do. Everyone seemed to agree with me because no one spoke up. I laid back down on the pew. Only then did I see that the creepy vampire was staring at me. I tried my best not to look him in the eyes. They had a hypnotizing effect. I fought hard to turn off whatever effect he was having on me.

"That's what I thought. Stand down everyone."

The vampire looked up at the scene ahead, breaking his spell over me. Those vampires who were still holding on to humans let go of them. I could tell that they weren't happy about it.

The vampire who bit me leaned over the pew to where he was also nose-to-nose with me. I squirmed closer into the pew trying to get away.

"This isn't over," he whispered, moving his hand to my neck. I could hear Finn and Cass whimpering in fear, but there was nothing I could do. I held really still, afraid that he would break my neck. Instead, he took his pointer finger and touched my neck where some of my blood was. He slowly brought stuck his finger in his mouth and seemed to savor the taste of my blood. Now that he has successfully scared the shit of me, he glided away.

My dad and mom shifted closer. Luckily, they were unharmed.

"People, go home. It's over now."

Those words filled me with relief. This day was about to be over. Hopefully, my neck would heal, and I would be able to forget everything that had happened.

Finn and Cass crawled out from under the pew and attached themselves to me as I slowly stood up.

"You don't look so good," Cass said, but in a sweet tone. It was odd to hear her being nice.

And to be honest I didn't feel so hot. My dad quickly hoped over the pew in between us and helped me stand up. His eyes said that he was upset that he couldn't protect me. As we headed out of the pews, I felt I was about to hurl. My foot caught the edge of the pew as I stumbled forward and hit the ground. As I pushed myself off the ground, I noticed that the blood on my hands had stained the carpet.

Dad's hand appeared in front of me and pulled me up slowly. The room had gone silent after my graceful tumble. I looked up at the stage and saw that its occupants were watching me. Eric stepped forward and inhaled deeply while the others were simply observing

I looked away quickly, embarrassed and unsure of what to do.

"Let's go, sweetie," my dad said, guiding me to the front door with Mom and the O'Donnell twins in tow.

It seemed that the danger was over, and it was time to go home. Together we walked out of the church, breathing a sigh of relief. This nightmare was finally over, or so I thought.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show,_ True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

_Moving on is a simple thing.  
What it leaves behind is hard._  
David Mustaine

* * *

The seconds leading up to the explosion had been the quietest seconds of Cormac's existence. The dumb human stood no more than 50 feet in front of him with some short of homemade bomb strapped to his chest. Only the bomb was rigged with bits and pieces of silver, designed to inflict as much damage on vampires as possible.

The explosion itself had been oddly beautiful. Hues of red filled the air just before he was pushed to the ground from the force of the explosion. The smell of blood was everywhere making Cormac very aroused and very hungry.

Slowly, he pulled himself out from the rubble, dirty and bruised. A sharp pain in his shoulder announced its presence as he tried to dust himself off. The vampire waited impatiently for the silver shrapnel to push itself from his body. Once it fell into his hand, he threw the small piece down and surveyed the damage around him.

Godric's house, which had once stood around him in its splendor, had been demolished from the inside out. Sparks of electricity flickered off in the corner of the house. The lights were dimmed, no doubt from the power outlets and overhead lights that had been scorched or damaged. The stupid human had succeeded in killing not only himself buy also many prominent vampires from the area. The remains were beginning to disintegrate right before his very eyes. What once was pale marble like flesh was slowly turning into the dark gray mush. Vampires who had faired the explosion were helping others who were less fortunate, but Cormac couldn't help by gawk at the scene around him.

His super hearing picked up the sounds of sirens miles away, which meant more humans were approaching. At the moment he was a little weary of the disgusting creatures. Cormac hissed in anger, feeing the need to destroy something, anything—preferably human.

He thought back to the church, where the vampires nearly started an all out war with the humans. No, where they _should_ have started a war.

_Filthy pieces of shit._

He replayed the scene over and over again in his mind. The sound of the girl he grabbed whimpering excited him. Her blood had been different, mystical, but most importantly, delicious. When Godric commanded the vampires to stop their attack, it took everything Cormac had to pull away from the girl. She was different, and he craved to have her blood inside of him, more than anyone before.

The smell of ash brought Cormac back to his current situation. Some of his associates and close friends had been killed in the blast. He stumbled out of the house haphazardly and into the street, away from the death and destruction. He needed to get away from the carnage and wreckage that stood before him. His house was only a mile or so away and he could be there within a minute or so.

Just before he took off, the shadow of an approaching creature caught his attention. His keen eyesight took in the character, but as it passed under a nearby streetlight he got a better view of its silver skin and unusual features. Cormac took in a deep breath, pulling in the scent of the creature. His senses told him that the man was neither human nor vampire.

The creature was easily 6'0" if not taller. Broad shoulders and a slim build were covered in a dark gray trench coat that fell just below its shins. Dark black books peaked out from under black dress slacks. The creature's hair was a captivating mixture of brown and auburn hues that mixed together so seamlessly, Cormac wasn't sure what color it really was. It fell perfectly straight down to the middle of its back. High cheekbones framed a pointed nose that gave off an air of aristocracy. Long black eyelashes accentuated the orbs of gold that they surrounded, making its gaze fierce and piercing.

Cormac had no idea what was standing before him, but he knew that he did not want to be on its bad side.

"You have tasted the blood of a girl, have you not?" From the depth of the voice, Cormac knew that his companion was male. The words drifted through the hair with a hint of evil attached to each syllable. Cormac was almost impressed.

The air around him sizzled with electricity telling Cormac that the creature before him possessed some sort of magic. No human could look, let alone make him feel this way.

"I have," he said tentatively.

Cormac was on guard, unsure of the man's intentions.

"Would you like to taste her blood again?" A smile flashed across the creature's features. It was gone before either could say anything.

Cormac's fangs popped. The thought of the girl squirming against him was enough to get him excited and forget the threat the creature before him possessed.

"I would," he growled.

"Come with me," the creature offered, his voice calm but also commanding. "If you do, I will give you all that you ask for."

_And more_, was the hidden ending.

A sense of yearning washed over Cormac like never before. The offer was becoming more and more attractive as he mulled over it, replaying the way her body squirmed against his, the sound of her blood pumping loudly in his ears.

Cormac didn't look back as he followed the man away from the destroyed house, leaving everyone behind. He was unaware of the man's plan for him, but if it meant tasting her sweet blood again he would do anything.

* * *

It had been two months since the awful event at our old church. Needless to say, that spring night was a revelation of sorts. The following months had consisted of uprooting from Dallas and moving to Shreveport, LA, five incredibly boring and useless therapy sessions, and two deep conversations with my parents about my mental health. My parents were under the impression that I was going to go coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs at any moment due to the "stress of my attack." Blah, blah, blah… I had become so numb to their concern that I no longer cared to listen.

Mom was really the main driving force behind my visits to a psychotherapist for family sessions. Each of these sessions would consist of the therapist asking me to explain my feelings toward the event as well as toward vampires. And every time, I would reply, "I'm fine. I'm over what happened." I could tell in her eyes that she never believed me, but I could also tell that she was carrying a boatload of guilt on her shoulders.

Things were different since that day. I learned how fragile life was and how with one clamp of the jaw it can be taken away. Now I didn't rebel and party with booze and drugs, but I loosened up a little bit after that. It was a confusing situation to be put in. On the one hand, a disgusting vampire had attacked me. After that, I should have detested vampires as a whole, but after Godric spoke up and saved the whole congregation I was unsure. A vampire had showed compassion and as a result I was still alive.

Before the great reveal, I never believed in the things that go bump at night. I laughed at horror movies and dismissed urban legends thinking that they were just silly creations from a creative mind. Then the vampires stepped out of the shadows and admitted their existence. To say that the world was turned upside down would be an understatement. Things were down right screwed up.

Truly, I was. Other than the nightmares—which I had kept on the hush hush—the attack at the church really hadn't affected me all that much (or so I wished). Every night I dreamt about the creepy vampire who bit me. Some nights were better than other; the best nights were the ones where I dreamt of the delightful Eric, who for some reason was absolutely fascinating to me. While I never really got to see his face all that well, his blonde hair stood out to me most. It also didn't hurt that his body looked to die for in his leather jacket. Most nights, unfortunately, involved waking up covered in sweat with a racing heart. When I heard about the bombing in Dallas, I was hopeful that Mr. Creepster had been killed. I would even go as far as to say that I hoped he suffered a horribly long and painful death.

I yawned loudly into my coffee cup, which served as an acknowledgement that I definitely was not experiencing good quality sleep.

Shortly after the bombing, Dad, who is an English professor, transferred to Centenary College in Shreveport, LA. He claimed he didn't like Dallas anymore, but I believed he was doing it for Mom. She had a lot of guilt from putting our lives in danger. We both tried to convince her that it wasn't her fault and that there was no way she could have known just how fanatical the church really was. Mom never believed us. She just kept saying, "I almost lost you, Maggie." Nowadays, my mother could almost be described as a stage-five clinger. Everywhere I went she was either calling me or offering to go with. I felt like I never had any free time.

Now that it was May, I had decided that it was time to move on and live a normal life. And normal to me meant finding an apartment of my own where free time would be abundant.

I sat my coffee cup down in the sink before slipping into the guest room, which was temporarily being used for my room. At 21, nearly 22, I was definitely ready to be on my own. Spread my wings and fly if you will.

"And I will," I grunted before taking another sip of my coffee.

After showering and dressing in khaki shorts and a light blue tank, I left my hair to curl around my shoulders. The weather outside was beautiful. Eighty-five degree and blue, clear skies. The only downside was the oppressive humidity that covered you as soon as you stepped outside.

I left a note for Mom and Dad telling them that I was roaming about town, snatched up the list of potential apartments I created a week ago, and pointed my car in the direction of downtown Shreveport.

As the afternoon went by, I found myself dismissing apartment after apartment. They were either ridiculously priced, run down, or gave off a creepy vibe. I just couldn't find a place where I felt at home or could see myself potentially living. Granted it had only been one day, but I was growing impatient and irritated.

The list in my hands was wrinkled and ink stained. I threw myself on a bench outside a convenience store where I had stopped to get gas. There was one place left on my list. I decided that I would check it out and if it wasn't right for me then I would give up for the day.

The door next to me chimed as someone walked out of the store, a brown bag in hand.

"Excuse me sir?"

A man in his late 30's stopped and looked at me. He took off his hat and smiled. "What can I do for ya, little lady?"

I smiled back and showed him the sheet in my hands.

"Can you tell me how to get here?"

The gentleman nodded, looking at the address. He looked back up quickly and smiled again. "It's the apartment complex right around the corner," he said, pointing toward the road. "Just take a right at the next light and you'll run smack into it."

"Thank you so much," I replied with relief. Maybe there was hope left.

After contacting the person in charge of the showing the property, I was a little nervous about looking at the apartment complex. The lady on the other end had been a little too perky. Almost as if she couldn't wait to get the property off her hands. We agreed to meet at the location at 2 pm. I glanced at my watch. It was 2:14.

"Great," I mumbled as I climbed out of my car. The sun had made it too hot to turn the car off, but I certainly was not going to waste my gas waiting on the lady.

_Tardiness often robs us of opportunity, _Mom used to tell me growing up.

I was peering into the sky, relishing in the sun as a white Jeep Liberty pulled up.

"You must be Ms. Finley," a perky blonde lady said as she scrambled out of the car. Her sunglasses were large and brown, nearly taking up all of her face. When she pushed them back into her hair, I saw that her smile wasn't quite reaching her eyes.

I nodded and shook her hand. "Yes ma'am, and you must be…"

"Donna," she interrupted, waving me off. "Everyone calls me Donna. So shall we take a look?"

"So whatd'ya think?" Donna spun around as we stepped into the apartment and pinned me with a smile.

I walked through the kitchen before doubling back and looking at the bedroom. The place was adequate, but there was just something missing. I just couldn't _feel_ myself living there. I was frustrated with myself for being so picky.

I shrugged. "I mean it's nice and all, but…"

"But, it's not you?" she finished for me. Her face said that she had heard it before.

I nodded. "Thank you so much for showing me this place, though. I hate that I wasted your time."

She waved me off. "No bother." She looked pensive for a bit, nibbling on her bottom lip. "If you want, I have one more property that I can show you. It's… it's not one I show everyone, but I think you might like it. I'll drive you over to it, if you like."

I pondered her suggestion. I really had nothing left to lose. The current property was the last one on my list, and my bones were aching from all the walking around town. I was a bit curious as to why she didn't show it off to everyone, but I was all out of ideas and exhausted. We walked out to her car a few minutes later. I slid into the passenger's seat hopeful that this place would be the one, and I could _finally _stop looking. . My thoughts drifted toward happier thoughts like what life would be like once I finally had my own place, the parties I could throw—once I actually made friends, the pets I could have, the boyfriends I could bring over…

"Well, here we are!" Donna chirped. She seemed a bit giddy.

I climbed out of the car and examined the outside of the property. From the street, the place looked very respectable. The property was actually an old pharmacy with what looked like lofts on top. The whole strip mall seemed to be that way. Across the street was a park. I half expected to see joggers and dog walkers, but instead it was empty. It was kind of creepy.

We headed toward a door, right next to the entrance of the pharmacy, which led to a small lobby. There were two elevators and a set of stairs. Wasting no time, Donna head right for the stairs.

She sure was full of energy.

We reach 2C a minute or two later. Donna fished the key to the loft out of her key ring and opened the door. To say that the place was amazing would be an understatement. Just inside the door was the kitchen, which housed wooden floors, marble counters, and all the latest kitchen equipment.

Donna followed after me, strutting into the combined kitchen/living room. "As you can see, the place comes fully furnished. Everything is brand new; you have a great view of Rollington Park, which used to be a very popular spot years ago." Donna trailed off into her own little world before correcting herself. Her smile got bigger, and she turned her eyes on me. "It's 1500 sq ft, and only $550 a month including all the amenities."

I spun around and faced the blonde.

"Okay, so what's the deal?"

She looked taken aback, but to her credit she recovered quickly.

"What do you mean?" The smile was bigger, but it still didn't meet her eyes.

"This place is awesome, and you are renting it at a price far lower than what it deserves. Plus, when you mentioned it you said that you don't show it to a long of people."

Donna shifted in her spot uncomfortably. "Okay. The reason this place isn't a hot spot is because it's owned by a…" She paused. "A _vampire_."

I sighed. This place was perfect in every way but one: it wasn't getting me away from vampires.

"He owns a club about a mile or so from here. The kind of girls that normally rent out this place are fang bangers."

I quirked an eyebrow. The term was Greek to me.

"Someone who… does has _you know_ with a vampire," she whispered.

"Oh," I said, understanding her implied meaning. "They have sex with vampires."

Donna nodded. "The owner of these apartments lets them crash here at a discounted rate. He hired me to rent this apartment out. We've never had a problem here before. It's virtually crime free. And from what I've seen, the girls that rent the other apartments are nice."

Donna had me going until the last statement. I could tell she was doing her best to sell the place, but when her voice strained about the other inhabitants I knew she was lying.

I mulled over the information. The apartment was super nice and way better—not to mention cheaper—than I would find anywhere else. But was it worth risking my life?

"Would the owner know that I was staying here because I needed a place to live and not to, you know, have sex with him?"

Donna nodded. "Mr. Northman just wants the place to get rented out. He doesn't care by whom. You should be safe."

Should being the key word. I glanced around the apartment once more.

"I'll take it."

* * *

Just cleaning up a few odds and ends. Good stuff starts next chapter. :)


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show, True Blood, or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

_Happiness can exist only in acceptance._  
Denis De Rougamont

* * *

"Margaret Rose Finley!" my mother screamed. The dish in her hand tumbled back into the dishwater, sending bubbles everywhere.

It was a two days earlier, and I had just told my mom that I kinda, sorta "rented-a-place-that-is-owned-by-a-vampire."

I had said it quickly hoping to get it past my parents. But even as the words sped past my lips, I knew it was pointless. My mom seemed to have super hearing and within seconds her cheeks exploded with fire. Yep, she was pissed. And by pissed, I mean the veins in her neck were sure to explode at any minute.

I stared at my bowl of cereal on the table contemplating how my current situation would go. Originally the plan was to tell me my mom while my dad was at work so that she could then help me break it to him. But after judging her reaction, it didn't seem like that was going to happen.

"I just don't know how you come up with these silly ideas. I mean _really_…" she scolded over her shoulder. I heard the dishes slopping around in the water followed by muttering.

Even at 21, my mom had a way of making me feel five-years-old—granted my bowl of soggy Captain Crunch wasn't helping matters much. I inhaled slowly, unsure of how to proceed. If my parents were to say no what would that mean? I had already paid the deposit and first month's rent. The utilities were getting turned on tomorrow, and the moving truck would be at my parents' house at 8 AM in the morning. There was really no room for them to say no. It wasn't like they were paying for it.

"They exist, Mom. I'm going to have to be around them at one point or another," I argued, stabbing at the soggy mush. _So why not now? _was the implied ending. I tried my best to keep my voice pleasant. Getting irritated with her would definitely be detrimental to my cause.

"And just because there are homeless people on the street doesn't mean you have to bebop around with them, does it?" she huffed. Although her back was to me, I just knew her mouth was set in a firm line and her eyes were shooting daggers into the dishwater.

I could kind of see my mother's logic, but at the same time I was irritated that she wouldn't listen. The loft was calling to me. For some reason, I just knew that was where I was supposed to be. The apartment was way to good to pass up. I would be a fool to try to find something better. Besides just because the place was owned and operated by a vampire didn't mean that vampires lollygagged around the vicinity, right?

Mom pushed back from the sink keeping her hands latched to the counter and pushed her chin into her chest. I couldn't tell if she was taking a deep breath or counting to ten. Taking a deep breath was definitely the better option of the two. It meant she was at least listening to what I was saying. Counting to ten just meant that she was trying to keep herself from wringing my neck.

After a few seconds, she stood straight and started trying to put some dishes away. In all actuality, she was really just throwing them around. It was only a matter of time before one broke. Her hands were shaking and I could hear her sniffling. Looks like she had been counting to ten.

"Mags," she said before taking a deep breath. _Uh-oh. _The plate in her hand began to shake. "If you think that that apartment is best for you… then I'll support you."

My jaw dropped on its own accord, and I didn't have the strength to pull it back up. She took a deep breath, sat the plate down, and turned around.

"I understand that you feel the need to branch out on your own, and it's going to take awhile to accept it. You just have to promise that you will do everything in your power to keep yourself safe. If that means hanging garlic above every entrance then that's what you're going to have to do."

Her face was blank, like nothing had happened.

"However," she whispered, her voice going out for her second. She cleared her throat and wiped her hands on absentmindedly on a dishtowel. "We will not tell your father about this. He's got enough on his plate with school and what not."

I jumped up from the table, knocking milk out of the bowl, and threw my arms around my mom. She attempted to smile at me, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Mom laughed lightly and returned the hug. "You're welcome, hun. No clean up that milk before it stains the wood."

And just like that things were back to normal. I envied the way my mother could bounce from situation to situation and act as though nothing bothered her. Even after the church fiasco, Mom went to work finding a new church, one that wasn't so "hateful and rude."

I shook my head and smiled softly as she put the rest of the dishes away, humming an unknown melody. I'd certainly miss waking up every morning to my parents' soft chatter or the smell of my father's coffee as he got ready for another day at work. I'd definitely miss seeing my laundry folded neatly in my room and the way dinner was always prepared at seven o'clock sharp.

I picked up my bowl of cereal and sat it in the sink. A feeling of guilt panged in my stomach. Growing up wasn't supposed to feel this scary or uncertain, was it? Tomorrow embarked a whole new chapter of my life, and I wasn't quite sure that I was ready for it. Sure my parents were going to be living on the other side of town, but that distance felt like a million miles seeing as she was used to them being right there all the time.

I rinsed the milk out of the bowl and put it to the side. Maybe having Mom a little farther away wouldn't be _too_ terribly bad. It meant not being nagged about how dirty my room was or how loud the TV was. It also meant no weekly conversation about how I needed to "find a nice, young boy with good Christian morals." I definitely would not miss that conversation.

I smiled to myself as I headed to my room so I could start packing. Moving out was starting to have its perks.

* * *

"Your Aunt Millie sent you a housewarming gift. I opened it for you, and it's a Tupperware. I don't know why my sister would send…"

"…Mom," I grumbled into my phone hoping she would quit talking for one second. I had been on the phone for 30 minutes with her and had literally said three words. Well, now four.

"…Tupperware. I mean she never sends _me _anything practical like that. I normally get fluffy sweaters…"

"…Mom…"

The box in my hand started to slip a little and my phone was sliding from its position between my ear and shoulder.

"…It's not that I don't enjoy a good fluffy sweater. I do, I really do. But it's just that do I have to get one _every _gift giving holiday?"

"Mom!"

I imagined my mom jumping away from the phone in fear and couldn't help by smile at the image.

"What, Margaret? You didn't have to yell at me."

She was really quite difficult to deal with sometimes.

"I really have to go, Mom. These boxes aren't going to pack themselves."

When I sat the last box down just inside the door of my apartment, I couldn't have been happier. It had taken just a little over a day and a dozen or so trips to finally move all of my stuff. Granted the apartment was fully furnished, but I had a lot of stuff that just seemed to appear. The place was _finally _starting to look like me. I had put pictures, candles, and throw pillows all around the living room to give it a more personal feel. In the kitchen, there were boxes of pots and pans as well as accessories strewn about. My stomach growled loudly, and I groaned at the thought of having to sort through everything in order to make dinner. I pulled open the fridge, which was tucked in the corner next to the pantry and tried to figure out what I wanted to cook. All I saw was deli meat, vegetables, milk, garlic…

"_Shit_," I cursed, realizing that I had left something in my car. Leaving my apartment door slightly cracked, I sprinted down to my car and pulled out a nondescript box full of goodies that I had purchased earlier in the morning. True to my word, I invested in garlic, silver cutlery, rosaries, holy water (which was a smidge difficult to find), and a couple of silver crosses. My place was going to be officially de-vampirized.

On the way back up to my apartment, I tried my best not to think about how exhausted I was. I definitely tried to force thoughts of my queen-sized bed and how appealing it was out.

"Well, well, well… seems my new tenant is trying to keep me out."

I jumped in fear and dropped the box of anti-vamp materials in the process, causing the jar of holy water to shatter on impact.

"Sonuvabitch!" I cursed, looking at the box. The holy water wouldn't ruin anything in the box, but it would sure be a pain to go get another glass of holy water. Sister Agnes was already displeased with me after I explained why I needed a jar.

A chuckle from across the room, making me forget all about Sister Agnes. A blonde man was sitting in one of my armchairs in the living room with one knee crossed over the other looking very at home and menacing at the same time. In his hand he held a picture of my mom and I from my college graduation that had been on the coffee table. My heart was pounding in my chest.

"W-who are you?" I asked, trying my best to control the quiver of fear. The door was still open, and I took a step toward it in an effort to put more distance from us.

"I am your new landlord." The way it rolled off his tongue made my skin crawl. It was smug and cocky.

The man stood up, sat the frame down, and before I knew it he was standing inches from me. My nose was literally inches away from his chest. It felt like my poor little heart was about to give out. Even though I knew I was in dangerous situation, I couldn't help but let my mind wander. Something about him was _so_ familiar.

"My name is Eric Northman."

A light bulb went off in my head.

"You're the vampire from Texas!" I bit down on the inside of my cheek, wishing I had kept my mouth shut.

Eric turned his head slightly to inspect me closer, which was an easy thing to do since we were so close. I help my breath when he took a deep. I felt awkward and vulnerable and maybe a little aroused.

"Ahh, yes. You are the clumsy human."

My cheeks turned red and I nodded. "Yep, that's me, but I had just been bitten so I was a little loopy."

I internally kicked myself for sounding so _stupid_. I had literally dreamt of this moment a thousand times and here I was sounding like a teenybopper with a crush. My mouth was just tripping over itself.

His hand reached forward and pulled the strap of my tank top to the side. Cool fingers slid over the small silver dots on the side of my neck. My skin tingled under his touch. I was almost enjoying the feel of his skin on mine.

"Wait," I said, moving away from him. "What are you doing in Shreveport?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, avoiding an answer.

"I live here," I said.

"As do I."

_Okay… looks like I'm not getting any answers out of him._

"Next question, then. Why are you in my apartment? I thought vampires had to be, you know, invited in."

A smile played at the corner of his mouth. "I do not have to be invited into a place I already own."

Well, that's something the realtor had failed to mention.

"And the garlic?" I gestured to the box at my feet full of items that _should _have been keeping him away.

He turned on his heel and walked further into the apartment. "It does not affect us. It is more like a food we dislike, like onions are to some humans. You will find that many myths about my kind are just that."

I knelt down to pick up the box and its contents. "Well then how do I protect myself from you?"

"You cannot," he threw over his shoulder as he examined photographs I had hung on the wall. Earlier in the day I had hung up a time line of sorts on the longest wall in the room. Pictures that had been taken every other year from when I was about seven to last year's family portrait were spaced in an artistic fashion. Eric seemed to be absorbed in them.

"Why are there no pictures from your infancy?" he asked, turning only to lock eyes with me before looking at the pictures again.

I shrugged and sat the box on the counter. "There was a fire in our house when I was younger. Destroyed everything. My birth certificate, family pictures, all of my baby stuff."

Eric made a sound of acceptance.

"I don't want to be rude or anything, but why are you here?"

I dropped a towel onto the floor to soak up the water. I made the mistake of turning my back to him. A whooshing sound floated through the air, and suddenly Eric was speaking into my ear. "I wanted to get to know you of course."

Every bone in my body refused to move. My heart was hammering away in my chest.

"Is this your first time meeting a vampire?" he asked, walking slowly around me. The image reminded me of a lion circling his prey. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. He was too close, too dangerous for words to form. My eyes were closed, and I did my best to control my breathing, but nothing was helping.

Fingers slipped under my hair and moved it from my shoulder. Eric slid his hand over the scar again, exploring my skin.

"Besides Dallas, of course." I felt his breath on my neck and wanted to faint. This was too much.

I nodded. Flashes of that awful night assaulted my senses. When I opened my eyes, instead of Eric standing before me all I could see what the greasy-haired vampire with the sick look of lust in his eyes. I shook my head trying to push the images away.

I felt Eric's hands on my shoulders, snapping me out of my thoughts. I was relieved to find that the Dallas vampire was nowhere to be found. Eric looked curious, but thankfully chose not to press the issue.

"Would you like to see what we are like?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know how to answer. Girls jut don't go gallivanting around with a vampire by themselves. Regardless of who the vampire is. Or how attractive they are.

"I want to show you something," he said before disappearing out the door.

That something turned out to be a bar he owned that was two blocks away. A large sign sat on top of the brick building that read, "Fangtasia."

"Real original," I mumbled under my breath. If Eric heard me, he didn't act like it.

In front of the bar was a line that had at least 30 people in it. All of them were clearly itching to get it. The person in charge of the line was a tall blonde female vampire who was wearing a light pink dress jacket with a white lacy shirt underneath. The outfit was completed with a black pencil skirt and black pumps. She looked like a homemaker in a sense. Well, a homemaker with fangs.

"ID," she commanded in a bored tone to the human girl standing in front of her. The girl looked like she was about to pee her pants in excitement.

"Are all your… patrons like that?" I asked Eric, but he ignored me and kept walking.

The vampire outside the door looked up when we got close to the door. She nodded at Eric, but tilted her head slightly when she saw me. I chewed on my bottom lip, not liking the vampire's scrutiny.

"Pam, this is…" Eric looked over at me, realizing that he did not know my name.

"Maggie."

"This is Maggie. Maggie, this is my second in command, Pam."

A creepy smile spread across Pam's face. Her hand slid out and took mine in it.

"It's nice to meet you."

I was unsure how to respond, so I simply nodded.

"She's quite scrumptious looking," she said to Eric, who glanced back at me and shrugged.

I did my best to keep up with Eric as he made his way through the club. Humans stepped aside in awe whereas vampires nodded. He seemed to glide through the crowd with a sense of nobility. I felt like a fool scrambling after him.

"Are you like some kind of royalty?" I asked when we finally made it to our destination. Eric sat in a thrown type chair toward the back of the room. From his position he could see everything that was going on inside the club. I stood awkwardly next to him unsure of what to do with my hands. In fact, the whole situation was making me feel very uncomfortable.

"Sit." He gestured at a chair next to him.

I sank slowly into it with much less grace than Eric. Anything I did compared to him looked jerky and uncouth. After a few minutes of watching the crowd, I began to grow bored. The bartender, a vampire I assumed, was zipping around the bar making drinks for humans and fellow vampires. There was only so long that I could watch him without feeling dizzy. In the crowd were several groups of tourists who were shaking with delight. Apparently being this close to real live vampires was thrilling. For me, however, it was scary. I had no idea what Eric wanted with me, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to know.

"What are we doing?" I asked Eric after I couldn't take it any longer.

"We are letting them admire," he replied as he surveyed the crowd. From his tone, I could tell that he was bored too.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Eric looked over at me for a brief minute before looking back into the crowd.

"To show you what vampires are like."

I gulped. _Surely_, I didn't sign up for a lesson in Vampires 101.

Before I could ask Eric why he felt that he had to show me that, the human girl from outside the club slowly approached the throne. Behind her I could see her friends giggling and whispering. It was clear that she had been dared to approach Eric. My fingers wrapped around the arms of my chair. Part of me was scared that Eric would hurt the poor girl. She had to be just a little over 18. My heart broke at the thought of her life ending so soon.

As if sensing my distress, Eric placed leaned forward to the girl.

"What's your name?"

The girl bit her lip and shuffled a few steps before answering. "Anna Grace."

Eric took her hand in his and laid a kiss on top of it. "That's a wonderful name." His voice came out husky and oozing sex appeal. Poor little Anna Grace nearly melted in her spot.

With a giggle and a soft bow, the girl darted back to her friends who were buzzing with excitement. A vampire had kissed their friend, and they were all jealous.

"Is this what you do with your day?" I asked, trying not to laugh. If so, being a vampire sure seemed tedious.

Eric's eyes snapped over to mine. He was clearly irritated. I closed my mouth and pretended to be interested in something out in the crowd. His eyes were burning holes in my skin and making me feel very uncomfortable. I was starting to feel like I was in a never-ending game of cat and mouse and it was only just starting.

Out in the crowd, I noticed the amount of people who were staring at us or rather staring at Eric. They all had looks of awe, lust, or respect on their face. It was scary and almost pathetic. These humans were coming to this bar to gawk at vampires and idolize them. I felt sorry for them.

From the corner of my eye I could see Eric stand up. I didn't say anything nor did I bother to look in his direction. I decided to bide my time until I could get back to my apartment and forget about this night all together. What were the chances that Eric would want anything to do with me after tonight?

Eric practically floated through the crowd and down a hallway. My eyes followed with curiosity. Seconds later, Pam walked down the same hall with a female in tow. The human was a pretty blonde from what I could tell.

I sat in the chair for what seemed like hours before Pam appeared at my side.

"He wants to see you." Her voice came out bored and annoyed.

She did smile, however, when she noticed how high I jumped and my accelerated heart rate.

"W-where do I go?"

Pam spun on her heel and glided away. I did my best to keep up, but it seemed like she was enjoying my struggle. We walked down the hallway that Eric had disappeared down before. I was embarrassed at how fast my heart was beating.

When the door creaked opened I was taken aback. The sight was disgusting, immoral, and slightly arousing—though I would vehemently deny it to anyone who asked. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I did my best to advert my eyes.

I heard a gasp of pain and couldn't help but glance over. The vampire was pressed up against a desk with the woman's legs around his waist. They were both as naked as the day they were born. When the woman's moans reached their peak his teeth sunk into the neck of the woman, which caused her back to arch and her breasts press into his firm chest. What I thought was a sound of pain turned out to be a moan of immense pleasure. The vampire's eyes locked with mine. I felt a stirring of heat in my stomach and the blush spread.

I ripped my eyes from Eric's and ran as fast as possible out of Fangtasia. Tears streamed down my face as I tried my best to find my apartment complex. I was so mad at Eric for feeling that he could play with me like that. While I was a _lowly_ human, it didn't mean that I didn't deserve some respect. What was he trying to accomplish? Make sure that I never deal with a vampire again? Well, he sure accomplished that.

The stairs of my apartment were a welcome sight. As soon as I entered the apartment I made sure to lock the deadbolt and the windows. Eric Northman would not be paying me another visit. Not now, not _ever_.

* * *

Cormac had been searching for weeks to find the girl and her parents. He scouted the church for signs to no avail. The member records were useless since he didn't know _who _we was looking for. And since his employer was unable to give him a name to search for, Cormac had no idea where to go next.

The vampire even went as far as to glamour the youth pastor, but the stupid human had no recollection of a girl fitting the description he gave. It was as if the family knew that they were being searched for and were covering up their tracks. Or better yet never left tracks to begin with. He highly doubted that the girl knew about her heritage. While he was unaware of what or who exactly she was, his employer knew. The secret hung above Cormac's head daily, and it was starting to grate on his nerves. He wanted the girl, and he wanted her now.

He kicked the desk, breaking a leg off in the process. It crumbled to the ground. How could humans and this girl be so far ahead of him?

A newspaper fell to the ground, catching his attention. There was an article on the front page about the attack at the church, something the vampire nation had worked hard to spin in a positive light. Cormac was not interested in the article. Instead, what caught his attention was the picture of two red headed children smiling on the front page. Immediately, he recognized both of them as the children the girl was protecting.

The vampire smiled to himself. He may have just found a lead.

* * *

P.S. So sorry I'm late. You have no idea how man times I have re-written this.

So Eric and Maggie have finally met. What do you think?


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from the television show, _True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

_Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because  
Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities;  
Truth isn't._  
Mark Twain

* * *

I was curled up in bed, putting lotion on my legs when I heard it. The living room door opened and shut seconds later. It was loud and obviously meant to catch my attention. I had wondered if he would be brazen enough to try and talk to me again, and now I had my answer.

Who was I kidding? This was a vampire. He could do whatever he wanted. Not to mention the fact that he was my landlord and had a key to my apartment.

Great.

When Eric appeared in the doorway of my bedroom, I didn't jump. For this, I was very proud of myself. Instead, I kept my eyes focused on my legs, rubbing my hands in a counter clockwise motion.

"Just because you're my landlord doesn't mean that you can come and go as you please."

I glanced up at his face and caught him smiling. My heart stopped beating for just a second.

"Actually." He stepped into the room, and I inched back into my pillows a bit. I was weary of his intentions and had a right to be. "If you had read the fine print, you would have seen the clause on where I can do exactly that." Another step closer. Another inch toward the pillows.

"What, did you go to law school in the past hundred years you've been alive?"

He smiled again but didn't reply.

"Why are you here? Again."

Eric moved closer, and I felt my back hit the headboard. There was no room for me to move away.

"I wanted to apologize for being crass. It was merely my intention to show you that vampires do not always interact with humans so poorly, but in attempting to do so I may have disproven my point."

To say that I was a bit shocked may have been an understatement. Never in a million years would I have believed that a vampire would apologize to me, a little ole human. Well, before a couple years ago I didn't believe that vampires existed. So maybe in the grand scheme of things this wasn't that important.

"Why?"

Eric's eyebrow lifted. "I apologize, and you want to know why?"

"You're a vampire. You have no moral compass. Apologizing to me benefits you somehow, and I want to know why."

He was in my face before I could say holy biscuit crumbs. The length of his body was pressed against mine and he was holding himself only an inch or two from my face. I was glad that I had put a pair of shorts on underneath my oversized shirt.

"Awful brazen for a girl with a strange creature in her apartment."

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I had developed a sense of bravado that was surely going to get me in trouble. Here I was with a vampire mere centimeters from my face, and I was speaking to him like an underling not taking into consideration just how fast he could snap my neck or drain my body of blood.

"If you must know," he finally said after what seemed like an hour, "I came back to your apartment because I sense that you are different from most humans. There is something about you that I just cannot figure out."

"So you want to get to know me because you think I'm a freak?"

I tried my best to keep my voice from trembling and only moderately succeeded. This pleased Eric. I could tell from the grin pulling at the corner of his mouth and also could feel something stirring in his nether region.

"Must you make everything so sexual?"

The grin turned into a smile, which stopped my heart again. The man before me truly was beautiful. The way his blonde hair fell slightly over his pale flawless skin made the men on harlequin romance novel covers pale in comparison (no pun intended). Fabio, eat your heart out.

I should have been mad at what he was insinuating, but instead I was trying desperately not to think about the fire burning inside of me or the way all of my senses seemed to jolt anytime he moved.

"I am more amused when I do."

I kept my retort to myself not wanting to see what he would do next.

"As a token of my sincere regret, I will give you anything your heart desires."

Up until this point I didn't even think Eric's vocabulary contained the words "sincere" and "regret."

I thought about it for a few minutes. Trying to ignore the weight of Eric's body nearly on top of me was hard to do.

When I finally had a suitable answer, I took a deep breath and wiggled out from under him. Thankfully, he let me go.

"I want a job."

If Eric was confused about my request, he didn't show it.

"I have an opening at Fangtasia," he replied as he stood up and dusted off shirt as if there were particles of dirt on him. I tried not to be slightly offended and reminded myself that the action was normal for humans and perhaps for vampires too.

"I want a job that doesn't deal with vampires."

This time I got a reaction in the form of a raised eyebrow.

"Any other requests?"

How about you stay out of my apartment?

"Nope." I pulled my knees close to my chest and sat my chin on top of them. Our position in my room was starting to get awkward. I felt vulnerable and unsure of myself. This was something I hoped didn't happen every time Eric would come along. If so, I wasn't sure I wanted him around that often.

"There is an opening as a cashier in the pharmacy down below. I can pull a few strings if you would like."

I nodded and replied that the job would do nicely.

As he walked out of the room, I couldn't help but think that this was just the start of my problems and that Eric would always be around, lurking in the shadows.

"Eric!"

He slowly turned around and faced me. His eyes found mine and stirred up flames in my stomach.

"What do you want with me?"

He smiled. "I just want to find out what you are."

* * *

That phrase haunted me for a couple days as I did my best to get situated in my new place. Mom, as always, was trying to meddle in my business, and while I knew she meant well, it sure did annoy me. By the end of the week, she had come over to have lunch and chat and I was about to snap. I was seeing more of her now that I had moved out than when I lived with her.

"And then Ginny from down the street—you remember her right?—she came over the other day with the most wonderful peach cobbler…"

"Hey Mom, can you tell me about my childhood?"

Mom was so quiet that I had to look up from my plate to make sure she was still conscious. She had a glass of water in her hand and sat it down shakily.

"W-why do you ask?"

I pushed around the pasta salad on my plate and shrugged.

"No real reason. Just curious. You and Dad have never really talked about it."

That was a lie. I was more than curious. It was all I had been able to think about since Eric had left my apartment that night. I hadn't seen him since that night, which was also making things more unbearable. Why was he so convinced that there was something wrong with me? My life had been the perfect picture of an average American family. We went to church on Sunday, threw cookouts in the Summer... Hell, Dad even volunteered in soup kitchens around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then out of nowhere, Eric comes into my life claiming that there is something wrong with me when he's a vampire. HA! The world sure did work in funny ways.

She wiped her hands off on the napkin in her lap and pushed back away from the table.

"Nothing really to talk about." She picked up her plate and headed toward the sink. "We lived in South Carolina till you were five then moved to Dallas after the fire that took out the house."

"What caused the fire?"

"Maggie, we've talked about this before."

I took a bite of my pasta, giving myself time to think.

"Just humor me, please Mom."

She washed the plate and kept her back to me. I knew it was what she did when she was upset, but I had no idea what she was upset about. Nothing tragic, that I knew of, happened in my childhood. This was starting to get stranger and stranger.

"It was just some wires in the house that got twisted or something and started a fire."

"Which is why I don't have any childhood pictures from before when I was younger?"

No answer. I decided to quit asking questions because it was obvious that I wasn't going to get the answers I wanted. There was only one person out there who could give me those answers, and she was sitting in a nursing home back in Dallas. I picked up my plate and handed it to my mom.

"So what's Dad up to today?" I asked, making it obvious that I wanted to change the subject. Mom perked back up and rambled on about how he was over at their neighbor Steve's house doing such and such for such and such. I nodded and responded when necessary, but my mind was working double time trying to plan a quiet trip to the South Dallas Nursing Home.

* * *

Like he promised, Eric had me a job at Preston's Pharmacy within a week. He phoned the same day that my mom had come to visit, but still I had yet to see him. The phone call itself was short and businesslike. At this rate, I would never get any information out of him.

The pharmacy was like a "mom and pop" version of a CVS or Walgreen's. The job required me to sit in a chair the whole time while I cashed people out, but I wasn't complaining. A job was a job. The best part about working at Preston's was my limited contact with vampires. The pharmacy was open from noon to eight every day mainly for the inhabitants of the lofts above and the residing apartment complexes. The landlord, Eric, as well as the owner, Preston Burchfield, felt it wise to keep the human work hours limited due to vampires' ability to glamour the workers to get whatever they wanted. "It's a liability issue," Preston informed me on my first day of training. Around ten o'clock at night the store reopened and a few vampires working the store until 4 AM. It then shut down until the humans came back around noon.

Preston stayed away from the store at night, as he was a bit skittish of vampires. The poor guy set up shop near Rollington Park back in its prime, unaware of what the area's future held. According to my on-line research, the area I lived in used to be a family-ridden area until The Great Reveal and Eric Northman came along. Once Fangtasia opened its doors, the families moved out of the area faster than you could say Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Now the area was inhabited by vampires, fang bangers, V addicts, and little ole me. In retrospect, my idea to more into my apartment seemed a little crazy. However, part of me—the part that ignored my rational side—felt safe in my apartment. Sure I had the attention of what seemed liked a very prominent vampire in the area, but as long as Eric found me to be a riddle I was confident that he wouldn't let anything happen to me. Or so I hoped.

Cornelia, one of my coworkers, sighed for the billionth time in the last twenty minutes. It was 7:15 and we had about 45 minutes left until we closed. She fidgety and antsy and getting on my last nerve.

"I'm going to go put a fire out," she announced to me from the register over in beauty products. I found out on my first day that that was slang for smoke a cigarette, which was something she did often.

Cornelia was a middle-aged blonde woman who had tanned too much, partied too much, and smoked too much in her earlier years. Her voice was gravelly, and her skin looked like leather. If she went too long without a cigarette she had a tendency to get a little grouchy—something I also figured out on my first day. She would normally stay pretty quiet and engrossed in her magazine until it was almost closing time. Then she started to pace like a caged lion. It was at that point where she was more annoying than a vuvuzela* at the World Cup.

Preston preferred that two people worked together at all times. So with only four employees, excluding him, I was set to work with Queen Smoker quite often.

The chime of the door clinked and I half expected to see Cornelia stroll back inside muttering about whatever was on her mind at the time. Instead, two men walked inside and headed straight for the beer section. They were both tall and very well built putting my sex drive in high alert. The two were joking around about something, playful pushing each other to the side as they decide which brand to pick. One noticed the selection of synthetic blood that the store carried. He then dared the other to purchase a six-pack of True Blood and drink it. They argued over who would actually do it until it turned into what seemed like a dick-measuring contest.

I rolled my eyes and turned the page of my magazine, skimming over the media's latest portrayal of Brad and Angelina's love life. Every afternoon at least one group of customers would come in and stare at the blood, wondering to themselves or aloud what it tasted like.

"It tastes like cooper. You'll take one sip tops. It's not worth ten bucks," I called out to the men.

They turned toward me as though noticing me for the first time. The tallest one, which was the one who had been dared, walked in my direction while the other grabbed two 18-packs Budweiser.

"You have alotta folks askin' 'bout the blood?" the tallest one asked.

I looked up from my magazine and into chocolate brown eyes that were nearly covered by shaggy dark brown hair. His square jaw was covered in stubble, and the man's skin tone was a deep tan that made his pearly white shine. I managed a nod and looked back down at the magazine so the blush on my cheeks would be hidden.

"The name's John."

An outstretched hand shot into my view. I looked back up and shook his hand.

"I'm Maggie."

When he took my hand in his, I noticed that his hands were callused and his skin was hot. I also noticed the way he placed a kiss on the top of my hand and how his lips felt like velvet. So many senses were assaulting my system that I found it hard to breathe.

"Well, Maggie," he said when he released my hand. "Me and my buddy, Rud, are in town for a party, and we think you should join us."

"That's very nice of you, but unfortunately I have to say no."

I didn't want to say no. I wanted desperately to go to the party, get drunk with John, and feel his body pressed against mine. But alas, I felt my common sense kick in and quickly veto the idea of leaving along with a random guy to go God knows where.

John nodded. "I understand. Wouldn't wantcha runnin' off with some good ole' boy who comes in here sweet talkin'. But I'll tell you what, I'm gonna be at the Coyote's Bar and Grill later around 11 tonight, and if you happen to show up, then you do. If not… well Gran'pa always said that you never drink unless you're alone or with somebody."

I smiled at John and fiddled with the magazine. "I'll think about it."

John nodded and smiled back. "Sounds good to me."

Cornelia walked back in after John and Rud had paid and were on their way out.

"Evenin', ma'am," John said to her. She waved him off and muttered something in return. When she got close enough she noticed the smile on my face and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, what was that all about?"

I shook my head. "Just a good ole boy trying to sweet talk."

* * *

**A/N: **Hooray! It didn't take me months to update. Heck, it didn't even take me a month. Hot off the press. Excuse the errors, but I really want some sleep. The story is starting to lay itself out. I'm excited! Oh and I'm considering a beta. Any suggestions?

If you don't know what a vuvuzela is, go here (without the spaces, of course): http:/ www. youtube. Com / watch?v=SrYb9qtO8OQ


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from the television show,_ True Blood,_ or the book series by Charlaine Harris. I do, however, own all characters that were not in or mentioned in the show/books.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

"_Life's disappointments are harder to take  
when you don't know any swear words."  
_Calvin and Hobbes

* * *

When the clock in my room turned 10 pm, I let out a groan of defeat. I had been staring into my closest for what seemed like hours. In all actuality it had been 37 minutes, but I still couldn't decide what to wear. Granted, I was still undecided about whether or not I actually wanted to meet up with the mysterious John. Even his name had me had me a bit suspicious. John. It was plain and unassuming. For all I knew it wasn't his real name.

I gnawed on the inside of my lip and browsed through my hangers. Choosing an outfit was beginning to become ridiculously hard. I cursed myself for being such a girl.

_Should I go with shorts and a cute top or was this place a little more sophisticated? What about a simple black dress? No, that would be too much for a first whatever this is._

After a little searching on the Internet I found out that Coyote's Bar and Grill—not to be confused with Coyote Ugly, where girls danced on the bar—was similar to what Southerners would call a honky tonk. I expected to find rednecks and pool tables not cocktail dresses and white collared folks.

"Ah ha!" I exclaimed when I found the perfect dress to wear. It was a cream dress that fell to the middle of my thighs, and at the center it was cinched with a thick brown leather belt. The bottom of the dress as well as the straps were lined in lace and the top part of the dress cut straight across the top of my breasts. It was the right mixture of _Look at me!_ and _I'm a good girl_ that I was looking for. Brown cowboy boots that my mother had forced me to buy completed the ensemble.

_But what if he's a creep luring you to your uncertain death? _

I switched from chewing on my lip to my thumbnail. I really wanted to go out tonight. Not necessarily to see John—though his chocolate brown eyes and golden skin were definitely attractive—but also because I literally had zero friends. I was still unsure if Eric could be considered a friend. Right now he was at _wary acquaintance _status.

Thinking about Eric led to a solution to my current predicament. I could call him and ask him to keep an eye out for me. Hopefully, he understood that I wanted him to make sure I came home at the end of the night and not that I wanted him to follow me around on my, well, whatever this was.

As I searched from his name in my contacts I wondered just what I would say to him. Somehow "You're a big scary vampire so will you search for my dead body tonight?" just didn't have the right ring to it.

"Speak to me."

I got chills from just hearing his voice.

"Eric, it's Maggie. Uh, listen, I just wanted to call you and say that I'm going to meet up with this guy tonight at a bar. Um… if I don't call you by two tonight, do you think that you could come looking for me?"

I liked it. It was vague but hinted at all the right things.

"Will you be in danger tonight?" Eric's question seemed more concerned that curious. I figured I was imagining things. In what world would someone as drop dead gorgeous as Eric ever be interested in me. Things like that did not happen in the real world. Well… neither were vampires, but we all see how that turned out. Besides, Eric was an asshole. Calling him was simply a means to an end.

"I don't think so, but could you just make sure I get home? You don't have to follow me or anything like that. Just a phone call or something?"

"I am not a babysitter," Eric replied before hanging up abruptly. Clearly no one had taught him cell phone etiquette. Who knew if he had etiquette period.

By the time I had actually gotten ready, primped, and found the place it was 11:45. Surely, John would have given up by now and left, but I still had to show up and at least see if he had waited.

I walked into the bar unsure of what to expect. Just inside the door was a dimly lit room with the bar lining the back wall. Pool tables and dartboards decorated the main floor.

"What'll ya have?" the bartender asked, barely sparing me a glance. I looked over the selection of beer, called out the first beer I saw, and paid for it. While sipping on the beer, I glanced around the place hoping to catch a glimpse of John. All of my primping would not go to waste.

As the minutes passed by the heat in the bar and the lack of air conditioning made the hair on the back of my neck absolutely unbearable. I threw it all over one shoulder, hoping to relieve some of the heat.

"I have one of them," the girl sitting next to me exclaimed, pointing at my neck. Instinctively my fingers went to the area of skin she was pointing to and found the spot where I was bitten at the church. "Well, actually I have a few of them, and they're in places no good girl should have them."

I scratched at the label of my beer, unsure of what exactly to reply with. "

"That's nice."

"I'm Lillian." Her hand was shoved into my face.

I gave a small smile, shook her hand, and replied with my name expecting that to be the end of the conversation.

"My first time with a vamp…It was real romantic," Lillian said before stubbing out her Marlboro Light. The smoke swirled around the bar, choking me.

"Well, that's good," I whispered before I lifted my beer to my lips. The liquid hit the back of my throat, and I winced. One thing was for sure: if I was going to start this whole drinking thing, I needed to buck up.

The sound of pool balls clacking together filled the air, and several people groaned. There was a low overhead light hanging just above a pool table. Underneath it was a man wearing a New Orleans Saints shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He was leaning over the green table ready to hit the eight ball in. The haze from cigarette smoke made it hard to make out his features. Onlookers were scattered about, anxiously awaiting the results. The man's hat was pushed slightly to the side, and his tongue darted across lips in concentration.

"That's my Johnny," Chatterbox—I mean Lillian—giggled into my ear. "We've been together for a while. He's sooooo hot. Like looks wise, but also physically. He always feels like he's burning up. I mean it's a little hard to take when we're lying in bed together…"

More groans filled the air, but this time it was mixed in with cheers and clapping. Johnny must have won.

"…He doesn't know about… well you know." She tipped her beer toward my neck.

I nodded and took another sip of my beer. The taste wasn't as bad this time.

"He's really good at pool… and other things." She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled into her beer.

My eyes did a sweep across the bar again in hopes to find John. When I didn't see him, I hopped up from my seat.

"I have to go to the restroom," I muttered to Lillian. It wasn't that I was trying to be rude, but where I grew up it wasn't kosher to divulge your deepest darkest secrets to a random girl at the bar just because you both had bite marks. Mine was completely unintentional. Something told me that she sought hers out. Now, my Grandma Joan would have rapped my knuckles if she heard me talking bad about a person I had just met, but there were times to be proper and this was not one of them.

I walked to the back of the bar and found a door with a sign that read, "Darlins." Figuring I had the right one, I pulled the door open and was met with a toilet and a broken down sink. The bathroom tile hadn't been cleaned in God knows how long. There was a ring of mold inside the toilet, and the off white walls were doing nothing to inspire cleanliness. I tried my best not to touch anything for fear of contracting a staph infection. The door shut behind me, and I turned the deadbolt. The mirror on the wall was cracked and dirty, but it at least let me see my reflection. I tidied up my make-up and tried not to think about how I was here at this hole-in-the-wall bar, sipping Coors Light, and listening to Chatterbox. Best Saturday night I've had in Shreveport for sure…

There was a knock on the door, snapping me out of my thoughts. Well, I guess I had avoided Lillian as much as possible. Now all I had to do was go finish my beer and get the hell out of there. It was clear John wasn't there.

"All yours," I mumbled to the girl outside the door. She brushed past me without saying a word. It was rude, but I shrugged it off. To the left of the bathroom was a door that led outside. It was cracked open and letting in deliciously cool air. I slipped out the back to get some fresh air. The temperature hadn't dropped much from the daytime. It was still hot and humid as hell, but it was cooler than being inside. Despite being in Louisiana, things weren't very different from Texas. The weather seemed to have two levels: hot and hotter.

The gravel crunched under my feet as I walked along the perimeter of the bar, checking things out. Boredom was getting the best of me. There was only so much longer that I could fake my way through a conversation. I was all for making new friends, but Lillian was not a contestant in that contest. My mom would have told me to make the best of the situation, and I was pretty sure that this was the best the situation would get.

"Well butter my butt and call me Biscuit! You made it," a male voice called from in front of the bar as I rounded the corner.

I looked up from the ground and found a Saints shirt and red hat standing in front of me. It took me a few seconds to realize that John's name was actually Johnny.

"You have a girlfriend." The phrase wasn't accusing, more like a fact.

Johnny blinked a couple of times before a look of understanding washed over it. He flicked his cigarette to the ground.

"Lillian."

I nodded and kicked a couple rocks under my feet. Johnny was quite adorable, if not handsome. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and adopted an "awe shucks" stance with slumped shoulders and his head down.

"Kind of low down don't you think? Inviting me to a bar where your girlfriend is at."

I felt my blood pressure rise. It wasn't that I was mad—okay, I was a little bit—but cheating was such a rude and dirty thing. I didn't want to be a part of it, even if he was cheating on someone as annoying as Sir Blabs-A-Lot.

"We're not really together. She's just a girl that I hook up with a few times a week. Nothin' big."

I laughed. "That poor girl acts like you two are a few steps away from walking down the aisle. What do you do, just play along with her little fantasies?"

Johnny opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off.

"You know what, I don't want to know. Clearly, I see what kind of character you have. Normally, I'm not one to pass judgment, but this situation just takes the cake."

I stormed off, putting all of my emotion into every footstep. To think that I had gotten all dressed up and giddy over this cheating asshole despite my best efforts. And because I was feeling like a bitch, I threw over my shoulder, "Lillian slept with a vampire."

* * *

**A/N:** This is the dress that Maggiewore to the bar: http:/ www. modcloth. Com /store/ModCloth/Womens /Dresses/Agarwood+Dress

Sorry sorry sorry! I've have this written for a while and kept planning on adding more to it, but that never happened. I'm in the process of writing my senior honors thesis, and it is taking foooorever. This is kind of a filler, but it puts me right where I need to be for the next chapter.


End file.
